“This was a way to help these kidsbuild their intellectual capital andknow what it’s like to live on a collegecampus,” says Mike. “Going for a weekin the summer to a place outside oftheir local community broadens theirview. It helps them to say, ‘Yes, collegeis for me.’ ”Tonya Allen, president and CEO ofSkillman, agrees. “We liked the highquality and STEM emphasis of thecamp and the opportunity for kidsto leave Detroit and get exposure toother young people,” she says. “Whenour young people have these travelexperiences, we find that they are farmore anxious to achieve and explorethe world. We want them to expandtheir horizons and become contributorsto Detroit. It helps them and fuels ourJefferson came to camp with othermembers of the school’s robotics teamto see if they liked engineering. “Thefirst thing they told us when we gotto Bucknell is that just because you’regood at math and science doesn’t meanyou’d be a good engineer,” she says.

“The professors and counselors were
so welcoming, and it was great to be
exposed to all the fields they touched
upon, even those I’m not looking to
pursue,” Jefferson adds.

The Skillman Foundation is thelatest group to partner with theengineering camp, which prioritizesaccess for under-represented students.Their participation has grown steadily,mirroring the camp’s overall enrollmentgrowth from 26 students in 2008 to lastsummer’s 185. About one-quarter ofthe most recent participants attendedcamp through special partnershipscreated with under-resourced schoolsin Long Island, Baltimore, Los Angelesand now Detroit. (Tuition for theLong Island teens, who attend theN. Y., is raised through a private gala.